The outdoor Mass on the Place de la Concorde was the centrepiece of the pope's four-day, three-city tour of France, the first official papal visit to the country in 18 years. The Vatican estimated 700,000 people turned out, according to French media, while other reports put the number at 800,000 — about 200,000 more than the number who had pre-registered. The BBC reported that more than half a million were expected.
In his sermon, the 71-year-old American pope told Catholics that only their faith would provide true happiness. 'Only God can fill the emptiness within us,' he said. The crowd waved white and yellow Vatican flags as well as French tricolours.
Notable attendees included Brigitte Macron, the French president's wife; far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who is leading in polls ahead of next year's presidential election; Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu; and Bernard Arnault, the billionaire chairman of luxury group LVMH.
The pope's visit comes amid efforts to repair the Church's standing after abuse scandals that caused nationwide shock in France. On Friday, he warned at the Paris headquarters of UNESCO that the United Nations and other multilateral institutions were in crisis, and he repeated his appeal for the world to reconsider the development of artificial intelligence.